In 2022 I tried NaNoWriMo for the first time. Here’s where I make everyone else feel good about themselves: I only got to 6,460 of a 50,000 word goal. In retrospect, for someone that was still trying to establish a writing habit that includes more than text messages and emails every day, 50,000 words is a lofty goal, stratospheric even. But I got excited about focusing on writing for a month with a few local friends and a like minded community across the world, and signed up in a moment of optimistic enthusiasm. My math brain calculated that 1667

There’s something about admitting that my writing falls in the memoir genre that makes me squirmy and uncomfortable. I’ve tried all sorts of angles to soften the news. My work is creative non-fiction. It’s personal essay. It’s slice of life narrative. It’s reflective with a hint of humor. My sentences pair well with whole wheat penne pasta and a full-bodied Chianti. Writing creative non-fiction – especially memoir –makes me feel self-absorbed and the doubter in my ear drones on about me earning the right (or maybe write,) to put my opinions and thoughts out into the universe. “The nerve